Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Shibuichi tsuba shaped as a sake jar with a shōjō carved in high relief, signed 椙川元隆 (Sugikawa Mototaka), a Mito craftsman of the late Edo period.
Tsuba signed 椙川元隆 (Sugikawa Mototaka), a kinkō of the Mito school active in the late Edo period; according to the original seller, a tsuba of his dated 1836 survives. The guard is cut to the outline of a sake jar, from whose mouth peers a shōjō, the red-haired, wine-loving spirit of the nō theatre, waving a fan as he revels in drink. The figure is carved in takabori, with the hair and waves in gold and the fan in silver; the original seller describes the face as red copper. The neck and shoulders of the jar carry geometric patterns in inlaid gold, and drips of sake run down the body in relief. On the front, a long-handled ladle and a branch in gold; on the back, an engraved floral scroll with gold touches. It is a small piece, 6.0 × 4.9 cm and 0.5 cm thick. The photographs show a dark, nuanced patina, the gold preserved and some light marks in the central area of the back. The original seller declares an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper, which does not appear in the photographs.
Strong points
- Signed 椙川元隆 (Sugikawa Mototaka), Mito school
- Sake-jar silhouette with a shōjō in high relief
- Shibuichi with gold and silver inlay
- Tokubetsu Hozon paper declared by the original seller
Points to bear in mind
- The paper does not appear in the photographs
- Light rubbing marks in the central area of the back
- Photographs on a red background that alter the colours of the metals
Score
58.5 / 100
- Maker 19 of 25 Genuine signature of a known maker or school
- Workmanship 10 of 20 Good work
- Condition 14 of 18 Good condition
- Period 5 of 12 Late Edo (1781–1868)
- Paper 4 of 10 NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Extras 0 of 5 No complete set by the same maker and no inscribed box
- Price 6.5 of 10 Rank 116 of 330 by price among pieces of its type, from the most affordable to the dearest
The score shares out 100 points: Maker 25 · Workmanship 20 · Condition 18 · Period 12 · Paper 10 · Extras 5 · Price 10. It is computed from the record, not from an opinion. Maker, workmanship, condition and period are judged from the photographs and the paper; price is compared only with fittings of the same type.
Details
- Type
- Tsuba
- Maker
- Sugikawa Mototaka
- Period
- Late Edo (1781–1868)
- Material
- Shibuichi, Gold, Silver, Copper
- Paper
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu
- Signature
- Signed
- School
- Mito
- Inscription
- 椙川元隆 (Sugikawa Mototaka)
- Technique
- Takabori (high relief), Zōgan (inlay), Iroe (coloured inlay), Kebori (line engraving)
- Dating
- Late Edo period (first half of the 19th century)